The Washington critic., 1887-06-07
WHY NOT A. NATIONAL PROTEST.
ANT UNIVERSITY

The inquiry naturally arises In many
minds not familiar with the organic
distinctions of the various Protestant
churches why the Episcopalians, any
more than. the Me,hodlsts or the Bap-
fists or the presbyterinus, should under.
take to build cathedral In New York,
otThe New York Times says that the
Episcopal Church is "the only Pro.
testan, body which his the organization
for building and mairtainiug such au
edifce, while the COLLEGIATE church is
the nearest approach 10 cathedral
that can be attained outside Of the
Episcopal organization" but as the
same paper goes on 10 say: The Ia.
tense individualism into which Pro.
tes,antism has be,n carried In this
country, whatever its advantages may
be. is not system adapted for the
founding of Institutions"
Therci is little room for dlsputatlon
on this point, There Is no bar 10 the
usefulness OF Professionalism in the di.
rection suggested so gtea, ns the mul.
tiplicity of its sects; but my we not
hope for conservative and beneficial
results from this latest effort of the
Episcopal Church to extend and popu.
larize itself2 1t Is the bodest and
broadest step yet taken by Protestant.
ism in America toward gathering hu.
manity within Its shelterlng arms.
How much bolder and broader q
step It would now be could the Protest.
ant churches all unite in the building
of grand University, similar in its
breadth of scope to the institution con-
templated by the Roman Church.
There is nothing but their "intense
individualism' to interfere with such
aproject They have within them
selves the organization that would en-
able them to engage In common educa-
tional work, and demonstrate that, In
one respect at least, their system is
adapted to the foundation of an insti.
tuition that would rebound to the glory
OF the Protestant Church throughout
the world.
Such work should not be under
taken in spirit of rivalry, nor simply
because the Church of Rome has un
dertaken It, but 10 the interest of that
intellectual and spiritual freedom
whereof the Church Of the Reformation
makes boast, and TO add iother to the
mighty agencies by which mankind ia
being disenihralled from tue bonds of
ignorance aud made ii, for its highest
estate.
II would be a great day, not only
for the United States but for the civil.
zatlon OF the globe, when sects that
are now frilterug away their energies
in worse thal idle controversy over
points of doctrine or discipline, should
be brought upon common plane OF
eudeavor 10 the establishment of Ma.
iional American University. Why
may II not Ue? Why should it not be
If THE District Commissioners cou.
time their researches into antiquity for
statutes whereby toresulate the morals
of,he immunity they will have little
difficulty in finding laws stringent
enough to suit the most exacting de-
mand. There are some still extant both
in Maryland and Virginia that were
enacted hundred or more years ago, and
are as applicable to the District to-day
as ever they were. tits only question
oftime when we get there, If we only
keep on going backwards. There is 0
Maryland law for instance, passed iu
1923, which provides that no one shall
"labor" on the Sabbath day, or profauC
the day by gaming, fishing or hunting
under fine of two hundred pounds Of
tobacco. This is very comprehensive
enactment-much more so than the
law of 1S43-and tobacco as q penalty
for It's violation is just as good
as cash, though not quite so con
venient to handle. There's Virginia
law that fines a man fifty pounds oi
tobacco for q months absence frou
church, and, according to the ole
Maryland law, man guilty of bias
phemy Is to be bored through thu
tongue with hot iron for the first of
fense, be branded on the forehead will
big "B' for the second and suife
death without benefit Of clergy TO
the third. Evidently the Commission
ers will miss good hing ii they stol
at 1e43. The cause of Sunday observ
ance cannot be sufficiently promotes
by merely shutting up the cigar stores
ice cream saloons and soda fountains
The Maryland law of 1928, which 10
hibils oil labor on Sunday, covers tn
case completely, while that other Mary
land law against blasphemy eflectuall
closes the mouths of all who might b
inclined TO damn" The authorities 70
thus Interfering with the liberty of th
citizen.
They say now That its the "pensiol
agent slarps" who are running the op
position TO President Cleveland at 81
Louis and that General Tut,le Is not 81
much the spokesman for the Grant
Army as he is for the "sharps." From
whatever direction the opposition pro
ceeds 1t undoubtedly has politlca
source. The visit of the President t,
the West on the other hand, is wholly
non-political
The action OF the Catholic Churcl
as determined upon at Rome with re